Intravenous artificial feeding

Answer D.

After 6 weeks of intravenous artificial feeding (PN), virtually 100% of patients will develop gall bladder sludge and a few patients will have developed stones. Almost all patients (adults) will develop mild amino transferase elevations (2-4 times upper limit of normal) after one to two weeks of intravenous artificial feeding (PN) and mild alkaline phosphatase elevations (2-3 times upper limits of normal) after two to three weeks of intravenous artificial feeding (PN). Elevated bilirubin is extremely rare after short term intravenous artificial feeding (PN). The progressive liver failure seen in a percentage of patients with “home” intravenous artificial feeding (PN) rarely occurs before 6 months and usually not until several years out. Anabolic steroid use is a red herring, although always a possibility; however, it has nothing to do with intravenous artificial feeding (PN) associated liver disease.